Rachel C. Welty

Attorney Rachel Welty concentrates her practice in the areas of Tennessee family law and juvenile law, including divorce, child custody, support, orders of protection, terminations of parental rights and adoption, dependency/neglect issues including cases involving the Department of Children’s Services and cases involving members of the LGBTQIA+ communities.

Understanding that the people who are often most affected by these matters are those with the least voice in them, Rachel takes a unique child advocacy-centered approach to the practice of family law. By focusing on ensuring that children’s needs are met, Rachel achieves a better outcome for their parents as well.

Raised by parents who emphasized the importance of helping others, Rachel volunteered with Children’s Services in her hometown of Wooster, Ohio while she was in high school. As a law student at the University of Akron, Rachel clerked for the Juvenile Court judge in Akron and worked in the juvenile division of the Public Defender’s office in Cuyahoga County. Before becoming an attorney, Rachel served as a Court Appointed Special Advocate (CASA) as well as a mentor for children in the foster care system.

After graduating from law school, Rachel settled in Nashville and began practicing family law in a firm headed by another attorney. Realizing that contentious litigated divorces are terrible for the children caught up in them, Rachel set out to help her clients divorce differently. She formed Welty Law Office in 2009 to create an environment that empowers parents and protects children in the legal process. As a Tennessee Rule 31 listed mediator, she offers families alternative dispute resolution options that may meet their needs better than litigation would.

As a single working mother of three children, Rachel understands the challenges of divorce and co-parenting on a personal level as well as a professional one. She takes pride in guiding her clients through a difficult time in their lives with compassion, solidarity, and creative legal solutions customized to their family’s unique needs. Clients of Rachel’s receive more than just legal services, they receive support surrounding communication, putting boundaries in place and help supporting children through the legal process as well.

When not working or doing advocacy work surrounding reproductive justice issues and abortion access, Rachel enjoys spending time with her children, dogs, and three cats. She also loves kayaking, watching the Nashville Predators and Nashville SC, cycling, and reading.